Basic AC Theory

v.5 by Hob Nilre 2013-12-29 at https://sites.google.com/site/nilrehob/home/docments

!his docment is totally copyle"t. #t is also a docment in "l$ that is not "inished by any means.
#" %o "ind anything that %o thin& needs to be changed' removed or added' send me an email: hob.nilre(gmail.com
1. )hen dealing *ith +, voltage and crrent capacitors and indctors *or& li&e resistors bt
*ithot consming any energy.
2. !he +, resistance "or capacitors and indctors are called reactance and is dependent on the
"re-ency o" the +, sorce and is measred in ohms.
3. Reactance "or indctors and capacitors are:
X
L
=L X
C
=
1
C
*here =2 f
.. #" %o connect a .0) light-blb into 230 / 50 H0 +,
1the lamp shold be yello* or something other than blac&..2
it *ill act as a resistor o"
230
2
.0
=1.3k since
V
2
P
=R
and it *ill get hot 13ole heating2.
5. #" %o connect a capacitor o" 2.. 45 into 50 H0 +,
it *ill act as a resistor o"
1
2 502..10
6
=1.3k
bt it *ill not get hot' no energy is consmed.
6. #" %o connect an indctor o" ..2 H into 50 H0 +,
it *ill act as a resistor o"
2 50..2=1.3k
bt it *ill not get hot' no energy is consmed 1e$cept "rom the internal 7, resistance *ithin the copper in the coil2.
8. #" there is a mi$ o" resistors' capacitors and indctors *e have impedance
Z=R+i X *here i=1 and i
2
=1 ' 9 is the resistance and : is the combined
reactance.
;. ,ombinations o" impedance are calclated <st li&e combinations o" resistance "or resistors:
Z
ser
=Z
1
+Z
2
+...+Z
n
1
Z
par
=
1
Z
1
+
1
Z
2
+...+
1
Z
n
9. #" %o connect a capacitor o" 2.. 45 in series *ith a .0 ) light-blb into 230 / 50 H0 +,
their combined impedance *ill be
Z=Z
R
+Z
C
=R+i X
C
=R
i
2 f C
=1.3k+i 1.3k
and the lamp *ill not shine as bright as be"ore.
10. !he po*er-"actor in the e$ample above *ill be
pf =
R

R
2
+X
C
2
=
1
2
=0.81
11. !his *ill be the same i" %o connect an indctor o" ..2 H in series *ith a .0 ) light-blb
into 230 / 50 H0 +,.
12. #" %o do the previos t*o connections *ith a light-blb at the same time on the same "se
the t*o circits *ill actally be connected in parallel
13. !he impedance in the e$ample above is
Z
tot
=
1
1
Z
R
+Z
C
+
1
Z
R
+Z
L
1.. =ince' in this particlar e$ample' the reactance o" the le"t side e-als the reactance on the
right side
X
C
=X
L
*e can then *rite
Z
tot
=
1
1
Ri X
+
1
R+i X
=
(Ri X )(R+i X )
2 R
=
R
2
+X
2
2 R
and since R=X in this e$ample then Z
tot
=R and so the reslting impedance *ill be
prely resistive 1.3k ' the capacitor and indctor are still there' bt <st not sho*ing p
as reactance.
15. >verything connected on the same "se *ill be in parallel as they are on the same phase.
>verything connected on the same phase in %or hose *ill be in parallel' even the st"" in
%or neighbors hose *ill be in parallel *ith %or st"". !his ma&es it very hard to condct
e$periments connected to the grid.
16. #" %o connect a capacitor o" 2.. 45 in parallel *ith an ideal 1no internal resistance2 indctor
o" ..2 H into 50 H0 +,
their combined impedance *ill be
Z=
1
1
Z
L
+
1
Z
C
=
since X
C
=X
L
' bt remember that i" %o do this on the grid it *ill be in parallel *ith all
the other st"" on the same phase' so achieving this reslt *ill probably be impossible'
especially as motors and the li&e *ill go on and o"" changing the impedance 1not to mention
the internal resistance in the coil2.
18. !he capacitor and the indctor in the previos e$ample are connected both in parallel and in
series *ith each other at the same time' its all abot perspective.
1;. #" %o connect a capacitor o" 2.. 45 in series *ith an ideal 1no internal resistance2 indctor
o" ..2 H into 50 H0 +,
their combined impedance *ill be
Z=Z
L
+Z
C
=0
since X
C
=X
L
' bt remember that i" %o do this on the grid it *ill be in parallel *ith all
the other st"" on the same phase' so achieving this reslt might probably be very hard.
19. )hen X
C
=X
L
%o have resonance and solving "or f gives the resonant "re-ency:
f =
1
2 LC
*hich in the previos e$ample *ith ,? 2.. 45 and @? ..2 H gives "A50 H0.
20. #" a 5)B9 an a battery is sed' *hat is the battery resistanceC Dsing ohms-la* its easy:
R
B
=
V
B
I
21. !he resistance in a battery decrease as the crrent increase.
22. !his also a""ects the po*er consmed by a charging battery compared to <ole-heating in a
resistor:
P
B
=I V
B
P
R
=I
2
R
23. !he po*er consmed is linearly proportional to the crrent in a battery bt not in a resistor.
2.. #nstead o" a lamp in the circits above' a 5)B9 and a battery can be sed letting the battery
to be charged. !o calclate the right cap "or a given battery se this "ormla:
C=
Ah
20V 2 f
and to calclate the right coil se this "ormla:
L=
20V
(Ah2 f )
*here +h is the capacity o" the battery' / is the grid voltage and " is the grid "re-ency.